Debapriya Bhattacharya
Based on the series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, ‘Dexter’ revolves around the titular character Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), an orphan who grows up to become a forensic technician working for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department. A specialist in bloodstain pattern analysis, Dexter is meticulous and brilliant at his job. However, he also moonlights as a vigilante serial killer and hunts down other murderers who are able to slip through the justice system as a result of technicalities or corruption. Despite his own crimes and insatiable bloodlust, Dexter comes across as a socially responsible human being, creating a conflict in characterizing him as an outright villain. Adapted for the screen by James Manos Jr., ‘Dexter’ provides the perfect gray protagonist for a thriller crime drama. If you are looking for more shows similar to ‘Dexter’ on Netflix, the following list will satiate your craving.
12. Safe (2018)
Created by Harlan Coben, ‘Safe’ follows British paediatric surgeon Tom Delaney, who is trying his best to raise his teenage daughters single-handedly following the recent demise of his wife. When his older daughter, Jenny, 16, goes missing from a party at her friend’s house, Tom spirals while trying his best to get her back. He begins his own investigation alongside the police and ends up uncovering secrets that were not meant to see the light of day. ‘Dexter’ star Michael C. Hall plays Tom, yet another troubled middle-aged man on a mission that forces him to confront the darkness around him. Watch the show here.
11. Inside Man (2022)
From the mind of Steven Moffat, ‘Inside Man’ centers around Jefferson Grieff (Stanley Tucci), a former professor of criminology who is convicted of killing his wife and is living in a prison in Arizona waiting out his days as a death-row prisoner. Jefferson firmly believes that every person has the capability of becoming a criminal under the right circumstances. His path unexpectedly crosses with Janice Fife (Dolly Wells), a maths tutor who finds herself locked up in a cellar in a village in England by a vicar, Harry Watling (David Tennant). The latter is in grave danger himself and has resorted to keeping Janice captive as a desperate last resort. Like ‘Dexter,’ the series dives into the human psyche and attempts to figure out what pushes a regular human being into the path of darkness. You can stream the show here.
10. The Night Logan Woke Up (2022)
Originally titled ‘La nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s’est réveillé’ and based on Michel Marc Bouchard’s theatrical play of the same name, ‘The Night Logan Woke Up’ tells a story that interweaves events from the present and the past. In the present, prominent thanatologist Mimi returns home after decades following the death of her mother, much to the disapproval of her brother Jules. Back in the 1990s, they are seen as close friends with Logan Goodyear, until a fateful event upends their lives. Created by Xavier Dolan, the series depicts how childhood trauma shapes adults, much like it does Dexter. Binge-watch the show on Netflix.
9. The Hunting Wives (2025-)
Based on May Cobb’s novel of the same name, ‘The Hunting Wives’ is set around Sophie O’Neil (Brittany Snow), who moves with her husband Graham (Evan Jonigkeit) to the fictional East Texas town of Maple Brook. Margo Banks (Malin Akerman), wife of Graham’s boss and a wealthy socialite, takes a liking to Sophie and introduces her to a circle of elite women who call themselves the “Hunting Wives.” As Sophie gets closer to the women, she gets drawn into lies, lust, obsessions, and deceit, which come to a head when a teenage girl is murdered. Similar to Dexter, Sophie finds herself surrounded by villainous characters and eager to get justice. Watch the show created by Rebecca Cutter here.
8. Bloodline (2015-2017)
Helmed by Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman, ‘Bloodline’ chronicles the Rayburn family living in Islamorada, Florida. On the 45th anniversary of the family’s seaside inn, the Rayburn House, Danny Rayburn (Ben Mendelsohn) returns home after years to stay with his family. Danny is considered a black sheep among his three younger siblings: John (Kyle Chandler), a detective at the sheriff’s office, Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz), owner of a local marina, and Meg (Linda Cardellini), an attorney. No one is thrilled with his arrival, and soon buried secrets start coming to light. Deceit and death follow the family, much like it does Dexter. Stream the show here.
7. Ozark (2017-2022)
Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, ‘Ozark’ follows Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), a financial advisor who launders money for a Mexican drug cartel. When the operation goes wrong one day, he attempts to make things right by moving his family from suburban Chicago and setting up a larger operation in the Lake of the Ozarks region of central Missouri. However, local criminals and mafia begin to intervene in Marty’s work, and soon, the FBI comes knocking. Like ‘Dexter,’ Marty tries his best to make it in an unjust world and is unafraid to get his hands dirty in the process. You can view the show here.
6. Mindhunter (2017-2019)
Set in the late 1970s and early 1980s, ‘Mindhunter’ centers around the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI, housed in the Training Division at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The unit is run by agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), alongside psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv). The trio interviews imprisoned serial killers as a part of their research to get a deeper insight into their psyches and apply the knowledge to solve open cases. Similar to ‘Dexter,’ the crime procedural show demonstrates a twisted approach in the quest for justice. Based on the true-crime book ‘Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker, watch the show created by Joe Penhall here.
5. Mr. Robot (2015-2019)
Developed by Sam Esmail, ‘Mr. Robot’ tells the story of Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek), a cybersecurity engineer and hacker who has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and dissociative identity disorder. Often using his skills as a cyber-vigilante, Elliot gets recruited by the titular Mr. Robot, a mysterious insurrectionary anarchist who leads a group of hacktivists. The aim of the group is to wipe out consumer debt in the world by encrypting all data of E Corp, one of the corporations in the world. Elliot and the other activists take the law into their own hands, becoming involved in a dangerous game much like Dexter. View the show on Netflix.
4. Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
Helmed by Vince Gilligan, ‘Breaking Bad’ stars Bryan Cranston as Walter White, a high-school chemistry teacher living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When he gets diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer, the dispirited teacher decides to cook meth with his former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), in a last-ditch effort to secure his family’s future. However, running a meth lab brings Walter into contact with some of the most dangerous people in New Mexico’s underworld, and he takes on the name Heisenberg to protect his identity. Similar to ‘Dexter,’ ‘Breaking Bad’ presents the protagonist in a sympathetic light despite being a morally gray character. Binge-watch the show on Netflix.
3. The Sinner (2017-2021)
Based on Petra Hammesfahr’s novel of the same name, ‘The Sinner’ revolves around police detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman), who shares deep empathy with his suspects. His method of solving a crime is focused on learning the motivation of the perpetrator. This leads to him forming an intimate bond with them, which at times becomes dangerous for him. The deep familiarity between Harry and the criminals is reminiscent of what Dexter shares with his prey, as he thoroughly gets to know them and their crimes before taking them out. You can stream the series created by Derek Simonds on Netflix.
2. Killing Eve (2018-2022)
Adapted from the Villanelle novel series by Luke Jennings, ‘Killing Eve’ is helmed by a different head female writer in every season, starting with Phoebe Waller-Bridge in season 1. The narrative centers around Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), an analyst for MI5 who gets recruited off-the-books by MI6 to track down ruthless international assassin Oksana Astankova, aka Villanelle (Jodie Comer). As the two women cross paths, they ultimately become obsessed with each other and stray from their individual paths. While Eve stands on the side of the law like Dexter at his day job, Villanelle embodies the dark side of being a killer that the man possesses. And just like Dexter, both Eve and Villanella are unafraid when it comes to crossing lines. Watch the show on Netflix.
1. You (2018-2025)
Helmed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, ‘You’ follows Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a serial killer who falls in love and develops extreme obsessions with his victims. As a bookstore manager in New York City, Joe comes across aspiring writer Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and becomes infatuated with her. He stalks her over social media and in real life, gathering every possible information and removing any obstacles in his path that can stop him from getting close to her. There are a number of similarities between ‘You’ and ‘Dexter,’ with both protagonists being serial killers who are good at hiding in plain sight. Joe and Dexter also meticulously study their victims before making their moves, and appear dangerous and charming based on circumstances. Follow the show here.
Read More: Shows Like Breaking Bad on Netflix
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